Did you know that Paul pronounced a double curse on anyone who would preach any other gospel than the Gospel of grace? He even included himself:
“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:6-12)1
The Galatians were “turning away” from God by believing the heresy of a mixed gospel. “Turning away” is the Greek word “metatithemi,” and it means “to transpose two things, one of which is put in place of the other.”2 These false brethren were coming in to replace grace with another gospel.
Paul, the apostle of grace, pronounced a double curse on anyone, man or angel, who would preach any other gospel than the one he had previously preached to them. Curse is the Greek word “anathema” and it means “a person doomed to destruction, devoted to the direst of woes.”3 In other words, “Let these men who are preaching another gospel be stopped in their tracks. Whatever it takes, let their preaching come to nothing!” That doesn’t sound very “Christian” of Paul, does it? Aren’t we all just supposed to get along? It is clear from this passage that Paul did not consider pleasing men of more value than protecting the integrity of the Gospel, the Gospel which he had received directly from Jesus Himself. Sadly, men and women over the centuries have compromised the Gospel in the name of pleasing each other, resulting in massive numbers of disillusioned souls.
Some have said, and at one time I have even said it myself, that the doctrine the Galatians were buying into some variation on the Gospel. That is not what Paul was saying, however. Adding a little law to grace is not just altering it like when someone puts an addition onto their house. It is, according to Paul, “another gospel.” Paul used a word that is translated “pervert” when he was speaking of the men who were coming in to try to bring in a little law. It’s the Greek word “metastrepho” and it means “to reverse, to change to the opposite, to turn about.”4 In other words, a mixed gospel is not a form of the Gospel of grace. It is not a watered down Gospel. It is a message diametrically opposed to grace and completely opposite in its nature. A little leaven leavens the whole lump.5
(from pages 240-241 of Unveiling Jesus)
Want more from Tricia Gunn? Check out excerpts from the Unveiling Jesus 20-part series!
Unveiling Jesus, by Tricia Gunn, is a verse by verse study of the pure gospel of grace. It’s an amazing journey of love, identity, and freedom in Christ.
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1Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
2G3346 (metatithēmi), Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, website: http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G3346&t=KJV, accessed 6-25-14
3G331 (anathema), Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, website: http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G331&t=KJV, accessed 6-4-14
4Kenneth S. Wuest, Galatians, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1944, p. 38
5Galatians 5:9″
